A composite index of ten economic indicators that should lead overall economic activity. This indicator was initially compiled by the Commerce Department but is now compiled and produced by The Conference Board. It has been revised many times in the past 30 years - particularly when it has not done a good job of predicting turning points. Why Investors Care
| Released on 1/18/08 For Dec 2007 | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Highlights
The Conference Board's index of leading economic indicators dipped 0.2 percent in December, a poor reading of course but not as bad as the 0.4 percent dip in November. Building permits and the manufacturing workweek were the largest negatives in the month. The report said the latest results point to slower economic growth ahead. This report doesn't deserve the attention it gets, but it nevertheless adds ammunition to those warning of recession.
The Conference Board's index of leading indicators fell 0.4 percent in November, following a 0.5 drop in October. Negative factors in the month included stock prices, jobless claims and consumer expectations. With more talk of the "R" word, markets will be giving this indicator a little more attention than usual.
Leading indicators Consensus Forecast for December 07: -0.1 percent
Range: -0.2 to +0.1 percent
| 2008 Release Schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
powered by
![[Econoday]](../../../../../../../../../images/logo.gif){kind=logo}